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[Oh! Creator] #24 Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung — Exploring the Person Through Keywords

Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung, Part One

Seoul National University, the Naesoong Woman, SNS, and Rumors!

Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung

Born in 1988. A graduate of Sunhwa Arts Middle and High School and Seoul National University's Department of Oriental Painting, she earned her master's degree in Oriental Painting from the same graduate school and is currently pursuing her doctorate there. She has made her work known through numerous exhibitions at home and abroad, including her 2014 solo exhibition 'Naesoong Olympics,' which drew the largest audience since Gana Art Center opened, and her 2013 exhibition 'Naesoong Story,' which made headlines when all 13 exhibited pieces sold out within two days. In January 2016, she held an invitational solo exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she was invited as the youngest artist featured in an exhibition spotlighting the history of Korean painting at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. In 2017, she became the first Korean art figure named to the American business magazine Forbes' '30 Under 30 Asia' list, and through active engagement on social media and her blog alongside her prolific creative output, she has been leading the popularization of Korean painting.

Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung has drawn attention at a young age for her distinctive style that resonates with audiences, and for a career path that veers slightly from the norm. A few days after 'Oh! Creator' set its sights on Kim Hyun Jung as an interview subject and sent a request, a man called. He introduced himself as a researcher at 'Kim Hyun Jung Art Creative Center' and meticulously checked the interview schedule — followed by texts and calls at every turn. By the time the editor had received dozens of pages of anticipated answers in advance, it almost felt as if the editor were the one being managed by the interviewee. This tightly run management seemed to be the secret behind how she keeps up with her hectic schedule.

As seen in nearly every interview photo, Kim Hyun Jung appeared with a lovely face and a beautiful hanbok. Having just finished a photoshoot for a new work, she seemed briefly tired, but quickly began attentively looking after her guests and skillfully setting up the interview. When talk turned to her work, she lit up. We had expected someone perhaps arrogant or aloof before meeting her, but instead she carried the room with an easy, "Oh, is that so, haha," and struck poses for photos with practiced ease.

'Idol of Korean Painting,' '21st-Century Genre Painter' — Kim Hyun Jung is followed by an unusually large number of epithets. We decided to first get to know her through the keywords that come up whenever she's discussed.

[Naesoong: You, Who Move Me | 130 × 196 cm | 2013]

[Naesoong: Installment-Plan Life | 159 × 115 cm | 2016]

Seoul National University

Kim Hyun Jung graduated from Sunhwa Arts Middle School, Sunhwa Arts High School, and Seoul National University's Department of Oriental Painting. She says it came naturally, since she'd been painting since childhood. But wait — was Seoul National University really somewhere you could get into so 'naturally'? We'd heard she also worked incredibly hard.... Could this person possibly be a model student?

Q. How did you first start painting?

From age eight, I attended a professional art studio, learning exam-prep art like detailed rendering and plaster-cast sketching. I remember the older middle and high schoolers there calling me "booger" [a nickname for the youngest kid]. I tried music and dance too, but art was always the most fun. Since I always wanted to be a painter from a young age, choosing an arts school felt natural. The specific spark, if it sounds a bit trivial, was a homework assignment in second year of middle school to draw a cross-section of a melon with colored pencils — it was so much fun! After that, there was never a moment I disliked art. I think being a painter was my destiny.

Q. Sounds like you studied just as hard as you painted.

I'm the type who's good at following what I'm told to do. Back then, there was a saying that exam-prep art scores were proportional to how many hours you logged. Thanks to painting a lot, for a long time, my painting grades were always good, and I was a student who kept up well with the demanding curriculum of a specialized arts school. I only got into the university I wanted after several tries. Looking back, that was probably the period I studied hardest in my life.

Q. Are you the type who throws yourself wholeheartedly into everything?

I have an obsession, almost a stubbornness, about completeness. Even when I'm supposed to rest, I can't just rest — I end up tying myself to something. Of course there are days I don't want to work, feel sleepy or tired, but I keep making myself tasks to do. I'm also nosy and curious, so I barely have a moment to spare. These days I'm holding back a bit for the sake of my health.

Q. I heard you recently started a doctoral program.

I started things earlier than most people. Although not on a large scale, I held an invitational solo exhibition even before graduating from my undergraduate program, and during my master's program I taught as a part-time high school instructor while working on my art. Later, things got so busy that I felt I couldn't keep attending school, and so I graduated. While preparing lecture materials, I realized that knowing something in your head and actually explaining it are truly different things. Wanting to talk about diverse content in an interesting way, I began reading books and studying, and sought out experts. I wanted to approach it more professionally and systematically, so I pushed myself to start. (Q. What do you want to research going forward?) I'd like to know more about Oriental painting and materials science. For example, even paint pigments fade and bleed differently depending on the color, so you have to calculate that before you start working. The more I know, the more curious I get, and to explain things to others more easily, enjoyably, and deeply, it's important that I understand it properly myself first.

[Naesoong: The Perfect Table | 130 × 162 cm | 2013]

[Striking a Pose: Pure-Hearted Woman | 112 × 134 cm | 2014]

The Naesoong Woman

'Naesoong' literally means "appearing gentle on the outside but sly on the inside." The figure that appears in Kim Hyun Jung's 'Naesoong series' is alone, female, and wears see-through hanbok with high heels. It's an ordinary situation anyone might find themselves in at some point, but seen from the outside, it's an irony that isn't entirely funny. Like all of us living our daily lives, the Naesoong woman in the paintings, too, has no expression on her face.

Q. What kind of figure is the 'Naesoong woman'?

Many people have had the experience of agonizing over relationships with those around them, or over how others perceive them. I was the same. As I tried to satisfy others' expectations and gaze, there came a moment when it became hard to gauge my own true self. After much deliberation, I concluded that to live 'my own life,' I needed to pursue a state free from other people's gaze or conventional wisdom. The woman in my work reveals her own Naesoong, but paradoxically, by realizing and confessing her true self, she is a woman seeking to live a self-directed life.

Q. Was there a specific trigger for creating the Naesoong woman?

I wanted to caricature people who judged me unfairly out of prejudice, as if to say, "How honest are you, anyway!" Of course, it wasn't a self-portrait at first — I simply needed a model, and I happened to use myself without much thought. But as I kept painting, I came to think that prejudice and conventional thinking were universal, instinctive problems everyone shares. I too lived with my share of prejudice. From then on, I began reflecting my own thoughts, daily life, and experiences in my work.

Q. It's not just the situations — the Naesoong woman's appearance also seems to resemble the artist quite a lot.

For realistic depiction, I reference the composition and pose of the figure from photographs. Although I became the model in the photo myself, I overlaid a different persona onto the figure I painted on the canvas, so naturally I didn't think of that figure as being me. Then one early morning while working, I glanced in the mirror and realized the figure on the canvas looked exactly like me. That "awkwardly self-conscious, unable to confidently show my true self while being aware of others" look was exactly my own. It was a coincidental, minor experience, but it became an important turning point.

Q. How did your work change after that?

Once I discovered this objectified version of myself in the painting, my previously wandering gaze could finally turn inward. Of course, I still can't clearly define myself even now. But I think that if I honestly and confidently reveal my present self, bound as I am by others' gaze, I'll gradually become a bit more confident in front of that gaze. Through this confessional work, I'm in the process of finding my true self.

SNS

Given that even social media has become part of an artist's job, it seems her personality — the type who can't do anything halfway — is at work here too. She runs an official Naver blog and has 100,000 followers. She manages her official website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Naver Post, and Grafolio — photos, videos, text, and editing — to a near-professional standard. Fast updates might be a virtue of any power blogger, but isn't filming and posting even her painting process itself giving away a few too many trade secrets? What is it about social media?

Q. You communicate through your work with as many as 100,000 followers on social media.

There's naturally a promotional purpose, but social media is also a huge help in sustaining my career as a painter. Becoming a painter let me do the thing I love most, but on the other hand, I was afraid of the sense that this life would have to be impoverished and lonely. From early on, many people have reached out to me on social media, and I'm genuinely grateful for every single comment. Writing about my work also gives me an opportunity to organize and reflect on my thoughts, and exchanging opinions sometimes even inspires my next piece. I think social media helps me stay sharp and gain confidence.

Q. You often say that art needs to be alive within everyday life. Can we see your social media activity in that same context?

I think so. Not just for me, but for many people, social media is close to daily life. Sometimes people worry about me posting my work online or on mobile, but if you think of your work as trade know-how, that reluctance is only natural, and copyright issues realistically do come up. For me, painting was a way to work through depression, and I've gotten this far thanks to the strength I've drawn from communicating with so many people on social media. I wanted to give something back however I could, and since painting is my greatest ability, I feel it's enough if even a single person finds joy from seeing my work.

Q. Social media activity seems to directly influence your work.

Painters often gather together or seek out critics to exchange feedback on their work. Since social media isn't face-to-face, it has the advantage of letting you hear more direct opinions, quickly. Just from the number of likes, hearts, or comments, you know right away. That makes me even more grateful.

Q. What do you think is the secret to your popularity?

In my process, I try to stick to traditional Korean painting techniques while also seeking out elements of contemporary art. I think that combination suits the expression of the 'Naesoong series.' I don't think it's simply that people enjoy lowbrow humor. I believe the positive experience of coming to find Korean painting — something people found intimidating — a little more approachable and enjoyable is what generates such a good response. The fact that the work is essentially the product of my effort to confess my true self and stand on my own has especially resonated with many people. Perhaps people find themselves within the work through the narrative story of a real person?

Q. I'd imagine your followers are mostly young people.

Many people assume that, but the age range is actually very wide. There's a lot of shared understanding especially with people my own age — talk about visiting a nail salon, getting your hair done when it's time, that kind of thing. A chat that starts over a single painting can go on all night without anyone noticing the time. There are also parents whose children are pursuing art, and further still, people with memories tied to hanbok. They tell me they find it admirable that I portray hanbok in a fun way rather than treating it as something old-fashioned.

Rumors

As much as she's become a topic of conversation, plenty of eyes have been on her, and such intense interest in her unconventional path couldn't have produced only pleasant things to hear. From the very early days of her career — young as she was — alongside a great deal of interest and support, Kim Hyun Jung has also fielded no small number of baseless malicious comments, rumors, and harsh criticism. Contrary to our expectation that she might be cold or standoffish, her cool, easygoing manner made us venture to ask even about the topics that seemed like they might be a bit sensitive.

Q. Perhaps because her outside activities and social media presence are so well known, there's a view of Kim Hyun Jung as an artist that isn't entirely positive. It's also true that you get a lot of media exposure. What do you think about this?

There are plenty of unfavorable views, but perhaps because I keep steadily doing the same thing regardless, more and more people have come to support me, and I'm grateful for that. I've agonized a great deal and found it difficult, wondering whether this path is the right one, but having people who support me is a great comfort. I believe that to overcome unfavorable views, an artist has to answer through their work, so I devote myself to my practice. My biggest concern and focus is always centered on 'the next piece.'

Q. It must have been hard to reach that mindset.

These days I've become somewhat resilient even toward unfavorable views, but it took real emotional wounds to get to this point. On days when I actually hear harsh criticism or evaluation, I honestly do feel drained. But I've been training myself to think of the words directed at me as a rare experience that opens my eyes. Since harsh words also come from interest and affection, I try to receive and accept them with gratitude. Now, in fact, quite a few people even ask me to teach them how to do that kind of 'marketing.'

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[Oh! Creator] #24 Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung — The Naesoong Series ①

Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung, Part Two

Our Real, Everyday Life! The 21st-Century Genre Painting 'Naesoong Series'

Artist Kim Hyun Jung says she lived measuring herself by other people's gaze. She suffered from depression after experiencing people who smiled to her face but spoke differently behind her back, and people who judged her easily out of prejudice. Weighed down by the burden of that gaze, she began speaking her inner story through painting. She wanted to ask, "And how honest are you, then!" — but the protagonist in her paintings ended up resembling not other people, but herself, and she found herself asking how different she really was from them.

Works that accept oneself as one truly is, capturing and starkly portraying everyday scenes where the inside differs from the outside, went on to become the 'Naesoong Story,' 'Naesoong Olympics,' and 'Naesoong Amusement Park' series. Her vivid imagery, grafted onto traditional Korean painting technique, has become established as Kim Hyun Jung's signature style, and centered on her practice, she has confidently expanded into diverse fields such as teaching, lectures, and collaborations in pursuit of 'art that communicates.'

Confessional self-portraits seeking freedom from others' gaze and conventional thinking, and art that communicates with the public through empathy. Kim Hyun Jung's second story is about the 'Naesoong series' — which is, in essence, about herself.

Q. Let's start from the beginning of the 'Naesoong series' protagonist, the 'Naesoong woman.'

I began painting the Naesoong woman in my third year of college. After casually entering competitions like the Korea Women's Art Grand Exhibition and the World Peace Art Grand Exhibition, I won the Grand Prize in the Korean Painting category for 'Naesoong Story,' and that's when I began thinking about the Naesoong Story more deeply. My original intent was a desire to caricature people who put on a show of Naesoong, different inside than out, but its essence has since shifted to myself, becoming a confessional self-portrait dreaming of escape and freedom. Through that process, I now treat 'Naesoong' itself as a subject of psychological and philosophical analysis.

Q. What does 'Naesoong' mean within your work?

In my work, 'Naesoong' is a somewhat broader concept than its everyday usage. It refers to 'any attitude of presenting an outward appearance that differs from one's true feelings, in order to satisfy others' gaze or conventional judgment.' My goal was to express the potentially uncomfortable theme of 'gaze' in a bright, witty way. I wanted to imbue both the message I'm conveying and the technique of expression with irony.

[Naesoong: Facing Reality | 120 × 150 cm | 2016]

Q. Why do you mostly depict the figure putting on Naesoong as a woman?

The original definition of Naesoong is gender-neutral. Following the universal desire to be recognized by others, it's closer to the discrepancy that appears when ordinary people try to hide their shortcomings and present a good image. But just as people commonly picture a woman when they hear 'Naesoong,' it's also a reality that women, more than men, tend to hide their true desires and nature. Because I've experienced that directly as a woman, that's also part of why I made the Naesoong figure a woman.

Q. The realistically captured situations of the Naesoong woman have drawn a lot of empathy in particular. How do you get ideas for situations or props?

Since it's a self-portrait, I really do draw inspiration from everyday moments. For instance, 'Fighting Spirit' (2013) came from a moment when, having skipped meals while working, I felt like I might collapse and started eating a hamburger with real intensity. Since I was in the middle of painting, I'm shown picking up french fries with a straw so as not to get oil on my hands. 'How Charming' (2013) depicts an experience in the bathroom — a space entirely my own — where I was fiddling with my smartphone and had the thought that the moment felt secretive yet somehow charming. When an idea comes to me, I first consider whether it's something only I relate to, or whether it has broader resonance. After that, I build a story around the situation and work out the composition.

[Naesoong: Fighting Spirit | 111 × 129.5 cm | 2013]

[Naesoong: How Charming | 114 × 59 cm | 2013]

Q. Thanks to that, you've earned the nickname '21st-century genre painter.'

I wanted to convey what Korea looks like in this era, to foreigners and to children who will live in Korea's future — just as we can imagine the landscape of an earlier time through old genre paintings. I think of public bathhouses as a truly unique and special part of our culture, and yet they're hard to find well captured in photographs. So I beautifully rendered very ordinary scenes from a women's bathhouse in paint. Ideas often come to me suddenly from daily life and experience, and I find the more universal they are, the more they seem to be loved.

[(Left) The Birth of Venus, (Right) Italian Style]

Q. Once you read the title of a piece, the Naesoong woman's situation reads even more fun and relatable. How do you decide on titles?

I put a lot of thought into finding titles that are witty yet clearly convey the theme of the painting. People seem to particularly enjoy titles carrying double meanings, like 'Oops (我差).' 'Oops' highlights a mistake made by the figure in the painting, using the Chinese characters 我 (I) and 差 (lacking) as a metaphor for a person's imperfect state, while also doubling as the onomatopoeic exclamation "Oops!" that the figure might let out in that situation. Isn't the moment you're eating ramen and notice (Starbucks) coffee spilling out of your luxury bag exactly an "oops" moment? I try to aim for this kind of playful wit with situations in my work.

[Naesoong: Oops 我差 | 160 × 110 cm | 2013]

[Cinderella hooking the prince with her glass slipper. Title — Naesoong: The Big Catch | 76 × 113 cm | 2016]

[The Naesoong woman's grocery shopping. Her cart is full of imported foodstuffs. Title — Naesoong: Patriot | 157 × 120 cm | 2016]

Q. I heard you sometimes reveal work images on social media and even 'crowdsource' (?) the titles.

I wanted the concerns behind my work not to be treated only with heavy seriousness by me alone, but to be something many people could approach easily and enjoyably. Even in the usual case, once a work is finished, I discuss several candidate titles with friends and family to figure out which fits best together. Above all, I consider it important for the work to communicate with the public. I also enjoy directly conversing with people and building stories together through social media. I think this process can also help the audience understand the work better.

Q. As much as you draw inspiration from everyday life, so your situations and items are very contemporary, your technique and materials stick to tradition.

I wanted to create work that preserves elements of traditional beauty while still being comfortably enjoyed and related to in our own time. I tend to be especially ambitious about expressing the beauty of hanbok. I used hanji collage to give the distinctive crisp, rustling texture of the hanbok jeogori a three-dimensional quality, and rendered the hanbok skirt in ink-and-light-color to effectively express the nude form showing through, hoping to prompt the viewer's own insight into Naesoong. As time goes on, I increasingly feel that 'fusion' matters. When I work, I often think of the works of predecessors including Kim Hong-do and Sin Yun-bok. The candor and wit in old genre paintings, their sense of composition, and their brushwork skill are like a symbol I hold up for myself.

Q. The Naesoong woman wears hanbok. Why did you choose hanbok?

The contemporary perception of hanbok as an elegant garment worn on formal occasions, contrasted with natural everyday behavior, effectively conveys the thematic consciousness of Naesoong. The contrast between 'formality' and 'the everyday' metonymically represents the contrast between 'outside' and 'inside' that is Naesoong. Hanbok is a garment with an inherent quality of concealment, since it's often worn in layers, and the skirt is long and full. By rendering the inside of the hanbok as visible, it becomes easier to approach the inner mind of the figure putting on Naesoong. Personally, my fondness for the lines, colors, patterns, and accessories of hanbok is also one important reason I paint it.

(From the materials Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung uses, to the eleven-stage production process! A more detailed story about the Naesoong series continues in the next installment.)

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[Oh! Creator] #24 Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung — The Naesoong Series ②

Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung, Part Three

"I Only Express What I've Directly Experienced and Felt"

Q. (Continuing with questions about the Naesoong woman's fashion — materials and expression.) I'm curious why you render the hanbok jeogori not through coloring, but through 'hanji collage.'

I chose hanji because I wanted a translucent feel — a material that shows through while still suiting ink-and-light-color painting. It's easier to understand if you compare it with silk or fabric. In that sense, hanji is a very fitting material for bringing out a see-through effect. Using the collage technique to attach hanji to the painting captures the distinctive feel of the hanbok jeogori while also injecting tension into a surface that might otherwise feel monotonous. The hanji collage itself is also an interesting, enjoyable process — almost like the finishing touch on the work.

[Naesoong: Right Up My Alley | 129 × 166 cm | 2016]

Q. My eyes keep drifting to the see-through skirt of the Naesoong woman. I imagine there's a message you wanted to convey through the nude figure beneath it.

It carries important meaning in showing the true nature of a figure hidden beneath the clothing worn to dress up. By rendering the curtain-like hanbok semi-transparent, I let the viewer see through it into the figure's interior — a barely-visible silhouette symbolizing the possibility of accessing the figure's true self. Depending on how you look at it, it can highlight something sexual, but what I wanted to talk about was 'an inside that differs from the outside' and 'access to one's true nature.'

Q. The more varied your techniques — installation, photography, video — the more materials you'd need and the longer production would take, wouldn't it? It must not be easy every time.

The Naesoong series is fundamentally based on traditional Korean painting technique, but I also approach it through diverse materials such as media art, 3D printing, and FRP. I stick with this approach because it fits well with the direction and feeling I want to convey through my work.

Q. There are so many types of hanji. Do you have a particular type you prefer?

In Oriental painting, 'sunji' and 'jangji,' along with 'hwaseonji' (originally from China), are commonly used. Traditional sunji is characterized by long fibers and tough paper, while jangji refers to sunji layered and backed multiple times. Among sunji, I use the thinnest type, called 'anpi.' Because the paper is thin and light, the ink settles quickly and naturally, and using a fine brush allows for a clearer, more delicate expression.

Q. I heard you even learned the craft of making hanji yourself.

It wasn't something I set out to do from the beginning. It was hard to find hanji in exactly the color and thickness I wanted, so depending on the case, I sometimes buy ready-made paper and sometimes make it myself. There was a hanji I loved that suddenly became unavailable. There was exactly one craftsman in Korea who could make that paper, and due to circumstances, he was no longer able to make it. Realizing that a tradition like this could disappear so suddenly left me both baffled and saddened, and I thought I should learn to carry it on myself.

Q. How long does it usually take to complete a piece?

There are many stages from conceiving the composition to completion, and it takes a long time. It varies by piece, but on average, a single painting takes about two to six months.

Q. Is all the work done by hand?

Actually, surprisingly, a lot of it involves computer work. Many people ask, "Why would Korean painting need a computer?" but beyond the original painting, digital output ends up being needed in the end, so I make appropriate use of it. When setting the composition, I mainly do digital photo work, and I also simulate color matching in advance. After conceiving the piece, all the actual painting is done in the traditional way, while the digitization stage involves a lot of computer work.

[Naesoong Series Production Process]

Step 1 – Conceiving the piece and sketching a croquis

Step 2 – Photographing the figure (body silhouette + hanbok folds)

Step 3 – Sketching on hanji

Step 4 – Rendering the nude figure (ink and light color), Step 5 – Rendering the hanbok (ink), Step 6 – First backing/mounting

Step 7 – Selecting the hanbok jeogori color, Step 8 – Dyeing the hanji

Step 9 – Hanji collage for the hanbok jeogori, Step 10 – Second backing/mounting

Step 11 – Photographing the completed work

Q. This doesn't seem like work you could do alone. Do you have assistants?

For things like photography, which isn't my specialty and is hard to do alone, I get help from the researchers I work with. Backing and mounting for every piece is entrusted to a single specialist, and materials are purchased or made as needed. I do the rest of the actual painting process myself. Since I've built up so much know-how over a long time, teaching it and sharing the work isn't easy either.

Q. If there's a point you consider most important in your work, what would it be?

The first is 'communication.' An artist is a professional who captures phenomena or ideas that are difficult to express precisely, and through sensitive perception and training, represents people's thoughts or emotions in a tangible form on their behalf. Ultimately, what matters is creating work that can indirectly satisfy people's desire for expression through communication. This effort also has a side benefit for the artist personally — it helps me objectify myself and keeps me from feeling alone.

Next is 'completeness' — which includes not just the visual completeness of the piece, but the completeness of the content I want to convey. When an idea comes to me, I write it down and reconsider it many times over. If I get too greedy with an idea, the painting becomes cluttered. Since there's no fixed endpoint to the work, how much ambition and diligence you bring to it changes the result. It's also for the sake of my own satisfaction and confidence in the work.

Q. Is there a scene that was especially difficult, or a part you pay particular attention to when painting?

They say horses are one of the trickier animals to draw among animals. I remember practicing an enormous amount while painting a piece featuring a horse for a collaboration project. Also, fine details like hair require holding my breath with every stroke of the brush, so they demand a lot of training. Looking at the whole picture, it actually takes a surprisingly long time to paint the barely-noticeable lettering or small props. (Q: At first, I thought the horse painting was a composited photograph.) Sometimes even I feel secretly proud when a painting I made ends up looking like a photograph. (Laughs)

[A Woman Is a Horse | 130 × 188 cm | 2015]

[Some(sic) Horse Time | 112 × 168 cm | 2015]

Q. It's been quite a while since you began the Naesoong series. You said it captures your own likeness — has anything changed compared to the beginning?

A lot has changed. In my early work, I used relatively subdued coloring, but as time went on, the dynamism grew larger and the colors became more varied. A recent work like 'Naesoong Amusement Park' feels much more vivid. Since it's a self-portrait, whenever my own weight goes up or down, the Naesoong woman's face and body go up and down along with it. Of course there's some dramatization and editing involved, but since the Naesoong series is essentially my own history, I find myself growing more and more attached to it.

[Naesoong: Naesoong Garden | 234 × 412.8 cm | 2016]

Q. If the artist gets a boyfriend, will a new character appear in the Naesoong series? Might we eventually meet a middle-aged Naesoong woman, or a Naesoong baby?

When I get asked this, I used to joke that "I still haven't found a male body I want to paint," but I do get a lot of requests to tackle men's Naesoong. Since my policy is to only express what I myself feel, it is a subject I'd like to try once I've gained more life experience and a broader perspective, to the point where I can capture men's Naesoong too. If I get married and have a child, I imagine the Naesoong woman in my work will probably end up pushing a stroller. Ideally, with a pretty baby riding in it!

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[Oh! Creator] #24 Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung — Surviving as an Artist

Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung, Part Four

"Does Art Have to Be Difficult?"

Kim Hyun Jung described her current work in roughly five categories. First, running the Kim Hyun Jung Art Creative Center (hereafter Kim Hyun Jung Art Center), painting, and holding exhibitions as a painter; second, teaching and lecturing at the request of universities or companies; along with her doctoral studies, collaboration projects, and finally, social media. A Korean painter who paints while also appearing on TV and in newspapers, holding buzzworthy exhibitions, and sharing her paintings on social media — she keeps up this unconventional path with remarkable consistency.

Isn't there a way to turn to art the way we play music, whether we're happy or sad?

Concerned about the unfavorable views directed at her, Kim Hyun Jung nonetheless used music as an example of how she wishes art could be just as easy to reach for. Just as someone might get hold of a track, listen to it, and then want to properly enjoy it by going to a concert, her constant wish is that people come to know the joy of art first, by whatever means. We listened to the story of Kim Hyun Jung, an unconventional artist who diligently and industriously stirs up the art world.

Q. I heard you studied Oriental painting alongside business administration. I imagine that has influenced how systematically you manage your various outside activities as an artist.

I started studying business administration out of curiosity about the art market. People say paintings are expensive, so I wondered why so many painters go hungry, but there was nowhere I could properly ask. Conveniently, the school encouraged double majors at the time, so it was a great opportunity to take classes in a different department. At first it felt so unfamiliar and difficult that I studied incredibly hard, sitting in the very front row every day, asking questions and taking notes. Double-majoring didn't give me a precise business-administration answer to a painter's hunger, but the case studies from this new field were fascinating, and I think it has helped me a great deal in working as a painter out in the world.

Q. You once said "a painter is a one-person company." Since you now run an art center, you've clearly gone beyond that.

Most painters can be considered a one-person company, since beyond the work itself, they also handle their studio's operations and management entirely alone. In my case, I've thought since I began my art career that I wanted to go beyond being a one-person company, and fortunately I've met truly capable, wonderful staff members I now work with. Since everyone takes on their own role and we move as a team, the best part is being able to devote most of my time to actual work, and it also creates the conditions to smoothly handle the various expanding outside activities.

[Image provided by Kim Hyun Jung Art Center]

Communicating Through Art

Q. You named 'communication' as the keyword that sums up your work.

I hope the public remembers my work for a long time as art that isn't difficult, but fun. In that sense, social media is a highly effective way to make myself and my work known and to communicate with the public. Through conversations with many people, I sometimes get unexpected ideas I hadn't thought of before. Communication through social media has now become such a precious part of my process that it feels like part of the work itself.

Q. It seems like your nicknames keep multiplying — 'idol of Korean painting,' '21st-century genre painter,' 'pop Korean painter,' and more. Which one do you like best?

Everyone has many different sides. I too have a neat side, with a pretty hanbok, styled hair, and makeup done, and I also have a side just like the Naesoong woman in my paintings — clumsily spilling coffee, sitting awkwardly while eating a hamburger. I'm simply grateful that people call someone as flawed as me by so many kind names. If I had to pick one, maybe 'idol of Korean painting'? I think that's a nickname I can only have because I'm still young.

Q. How does the public respond to your efforts at communication?

Many people feel comfortable with it now. I try to take a lot of time after lectures to answer questions and have conversations, and some people offer ideas, saying things like "why not try painting this kind of subject," while others give critical feedback, saying "this kind of situation doesn't feel universal." I sometimes hear concerns that I communicate too much, but communication is both the direction I aim for and a part of my work itself. I work even harder at painting so as not to invite misunderstanding.

[Naesoong Story emoticons | Image provided by Kim Hyun Jung Art Center]

The Painter's 'Side Projects'

Q. I imagine a lot of people got to know artist Kim Hyun Jung through your emoticons.

I often say art should be enjoyed the way we enjoy a track through a music app. Visiting a gallery exhibition lets you see art without much difficulty, but visiting a museum isn't part of everyday life for everyone. In that sense, emoticons were one way to let anyone use art easily in daily life. Following the 'Naesoong Story' emoticons, I'm currently working on a new set expressing 26 different human emotions.

[From upcoming new emoticons in progress — (from left) Trembling, Sorry, Frustrated | Image provided by Kim Hyun Jung Art Center]

Q. What do you think about criticism that calls your work too commercial?

I believe that for art to be enjoyed in everyday life, artists also need to pay attention to the commercial use and consumption of their work. Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is a representative example showing the symbiosis of art and capitalist commerce, and how art can become part of daily life. Looked at another way, he used brands that were already well-known and close to everyday life as a platform for his art. The corporate collaboration projects I keep pursuing follow a similar logic. Brands surely have all sorts of promotional methods available to them, and I do my best hoping that their choice to collaborate with an artist leads to good results and encourages even more of these collaborations.

Q. You've been giving lectures for quite a while now.

I keep giving classes and lectures precisely because I end up feeling and learning more than I teach. Meeting passionate people when my emotions feel dulled recharges me, and it's also a great way to pursue what I aim for — 'communicating through art.' (Q: What topics do you usually lecture on?) It varies enormously depending on the audience. Beyond the Naesoong series itself, I talk about understanding art, broadly enjoying art through things like owning and caring for artworks, and I also discuss the direction of tradition meeting modernization. There are also programs like psychological tests done through drawing, paper toys, and coloring-postcard experiences.

[Naesoong Story coloring postcard experience lecture | Image provided by Kim Hyun Jung Art Center]

If You Dream of Becoming a Painter

Q. As someone who spent a long time in exam-prep art, what would you like to say to those following behind you?

I still have a lot of shortcomings myself, so rather than giving advice, I'll speak as someone walking the same path — I think the most important things are curiosity, persistence, and a genuine love of painting. Every once in a while, you come across a painting where you can really feel the artist enjoyed making it. Since everything a painter thinks and experiences ends up dissolving into their work, it's good to see and feel as much as possible. And I want to encourage people not to give up, and to paint a lot. Even Picasso, known as a genius, turns out to have painted an enormous number of works. The more you endure, the more your confidence grows, and I'm convinced the moment you've been hoping for will eventually come.

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[Oh! Creator] #24 Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung — Everyday Life and Tastes

Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung, Part Five

Kim Hyun Jung's 'Likes'

She shares updates with her 100,000 followers almost every day, and tens of thousands of people line up to visit her solo exhibitions. While pursuing her studies, she teaches students and lectures in front of hundreds of people and cameras. Dressed in lovely hanbok, immaculately styled from head to toe, Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung stands before the public with a bright expression.

She might seem like a flawless 'model' artist whose everyday life is glamorous — but it turns out she's also just an ordinary thirty-year-old woman who checks social media the moment she wakes up, enjoys going to the nail salon, and loves sweet ice cream. Even someone like 'Kim Hyun Jung' must find it hard sometimes to smile and work every day, right? Isn't it only natural that, like everyone, she has her worries and things she wants to do? The final installment of 'Oh! Creator — Artist Kim Hyun Jung' is a story about her small everyday moments and the things she loves.

Q. What does your daily routine look like?

It's been about five years since I've had a proper day off. These days I barely get about five hours of sleep. I usually arrive at Kim Hyun Jung Art Center, where my studio is, at 9 a.m. I don't eat much lunch, so I sometimes use lunchtime to exercise, and I frequently work late. Every day I plan what work to do and aim to leave by 7 p.m., but more often than not, working late becomes routine.

Q. Are you sensitive to stress?

I tend to overthink. Sometimes, after thinking for a long time, I'll suddenly catch myself and wonder, "Why am I even worrying about this?" I am sensitive to that kind of frustrating stress, but at the same time, I think I gain vitality by overcoming it. These days, overcoming stress has started to feel a bit more natural and comfortable.

Q. How do you relieve stress?

Even when I'm busy, I make sure to exercise and arrange flowers once or twice a week. Some pieces in 'Naesoong Olympics' actually came from ideas I got while working out on exercise equipment at a nearby park. But when stress still doesn't go away, I go to the Yangjae-dong flower market near my studio, and just looking at the flowers revitalizes me — I buy a cheap armful and make a bouquet. (Q: Did you always like exercising?) No. After years of mostly eating delivery food or fast food and rarely exercising, I suddenly felt the need for it. Since then, I've been trying to keep it up consistently.

[Naesoong: Repeat Sign | 161 × 102 cm | 2014]

[Naesoong: Marathoner | 200 × 121 cm | 2014]

Q. What are you worrying about these days?

So many things. My friends call me the 'foreman of the worry factory.' As is probably true in other fields as well, I've often seen many of my female seniors struggle to balance family and work, and lately that's made me think a lot about marriage. Also, since I spend nearly all my time on my work, I sometimes wonder if I'm missing out on other precious things I could only do at this age.

Q. Being at your exhibitions, you must have met so many people. Is there a visitor who left a lasting impression?

So many — someone who cried, saying the work had been healing to look at; a male student who comes dressed in hanbok to every single exhibition; mothers who came wearing hanbok they'd bought for their own wedding and left folded away in a closet ever since. I promote the exhibitions a lot by encouraging people to come dressed in hanbok, and it's genuinely rewarding to see friends or couples come wearing hanbok and enjoy the work together.

Q. We can't skip talking about hanbok. It's almost strange to picture Kim Hyun Jung without it. Is there a reason you enjoy wearing hanbok so much?

Perhaps because of doing Korean painting, I've loved the colors, textures, and accessories of hanbok since I was young. I mainly wear formal hanbok for lectures, cultural events, interviews, and exhibitions, and I enjoy wearing everyday hanbok (saenghwal hanbok) in daily life otherwise. I feel like perceptions of hanbok have changed a lot these days. You see many people wearing hanbok around Insa-dong or Samcheong-dong, and in fact, a great many visitors came dressed in hanbok to last year's 'Naesoong Amusement Park' exhibition in Insa-dong. It makes me happy to think that the Naesoong Story might have helped, even just a little, in bringing people closer to hanbok.

[2016 'Naesoong Amusement Park' exhibition | Image provided by Kim Hyun Jung Art Center]

Q. What's your favorite hanbok style?

I wear any color without discrimination. Even primary colors that would be difficult to pull off in Western clothing come across as bright and elegant in hanbok. Among accessories, I love hair ornaments like baessi-daenggi, tteoljam, bit-pins, and binyeo hairpins. Being short is a complex of mine, so I mostly wear pump-style high heels, and one of my treasured items is a pair of shoes my mother personally decorated to match my hanbok.

[Shoes decorated by artist Kim Hyun Jung's mother]

Q. What are the pros and cons of wearing hanbok as everyday clothing?

The advantage is that it's comfortable! At first I thought hanbok was uncomfortable, but the wide, voluminous skirt actually covers a lot, which makes moving around more comfortable. The high waistline also makes your legs look longer, and it doesn't show weight gain very easily. It's a garment that grows more charming the more you wear it. The downside is that it's hard to wear on hot days, since traditional hanbok looks prettier worn in layers. These days there are many hanbok made with lighter materials and more modern designs, which has made things better.

Q. You've painted so many works by now. I'm curious which one you feel most attached to.

Probably 'Narcissus,' the very first work I painted on the theme of 'Naesoong.' It also holds great personal meaning, since it won the Grand Prize at the Korea Women's Art Grand Exhibition. I'm also attached to the piece 'Strange or Familiar,' which captures the moment my work reached a turning point — the moment I realized that the figure I had drawn to caricature people who were different inside than out was, in the end, myself. I depicted this by picturing two women sitting facing each other, each holding a game console incompatible with the other's. From that point on, I began confidently painting Naesoong as a full-fledged self-portrait.

[Naesoong: Narcissus | 90 × 72 cm | 2011]

[Naesoong: Strange or Familiar (set) | 85 × 155, 118 × 150 cm | 2013]

Q. Who are your favorite artists?

Artist Suh Do-ho and Japan's Takashi Murakami both give me, as an artist, something to think about in terms of direction. What's truly wonderful about Suh Do-ho's work is how he reinterprets elements of Korean beauty to create beauty that anyone can universally relate to. Takashi Murakami is an artist who proved, through brand collaborations, that art can permeate everyday life. He showed that art infiltrating the realm of commerce can be one valid approach. I too am working to become an artist who can confidently present our culture to the world, earn recognition for it, and help more people enjoy art up close.

Q. This is finally the last question. What kind of artist do you want to become going forward?

I want to become an artist who scratches the itch people can't quite reach themselves. I believe the role of an artist, as a professional, is to clearly express, through a relatable message, the issues that many people vaguely sense but can't quite articulate to their satisfaction. To do that, I try to be an artist who doesn't get buried in or biased toward my own world, but stays sensitively attentive to and in communication with what's happening in the wider world.

Planning: DesignPress Editorial Department

Reporting and writing: DesignPress Editor Moon Han-a

Photography: Kim Jan-deu (516 studio)

Written by — Reporting & Text: Moon Han-a (Design Press Editor), Photo: Kim Jan-dui (516 studio)